Toluwani Obayan Osibe (born 13 August 1990) is a

Nigerian Nigerians or the Nigerian people are citizens of Nigeria or people with ancestry from Nigeria. The name Nigeria was derived from the Niger River running through the country. This name was allegedly coined in the late 19th century by British jo ...

Author In legal discourse, an author is the creator of an original work that has been published, whether that work exists in written, graphic, visual, or recorded form. The act of creating such a work is referred to as authorship. Therefore, a sculpt ...

Screenwriter A screenwriter (also called scriptwriter, scribe, or scenarist) is a person who practices the craft of writing for visual mass media, known as screenwriting. These can include short films, feature-length films, television programs, television ...

, and Director known for her contributions to the Nigerian film industry, Nollywood. Osibe wrote ''

Ponzi Charles Ponzi (; ; born Carlo Pietro Giovanni Guglielmo Tebaldo Ponzi; March 3, 1882 – January 18, 1949) was an Italian charlatan and con artist who operated in the United States and Canada. His aliases included ''Charles Ponci'', ''Carlo'' ...

'' (2021), a comedic film about Nigeria’s economic challenges, ''This Lady Called Life'' (2020), and ''

Something Like Gold ''Something Like Gold'' is a 2023 Nigerian drama film written by Adaeze Ibechukwu and directed by Kayode Kasum. The film centers on a woman who rediscovers love after being left at the altar while confronting the challenges of rebuilding her l ...

'' (2023). She also directed the short film ''Heart & Might'' and authored a self-help book ''Becoming A Spectacular Woman'' (2018).

Early life and education

Toluwani Obayan Osibe was born in

Ilorin Ilorin is the capital city of Kwara State located in the Western region of Nigeria. The city is a major hub for transportation and commerce in the region. . Retrieved 18 February 2007 Although Ilorin is classified under the North-Central g ...

, Nigeria. She is of mixed Nigerian heritage; her father is from

Kogi State Kogi State is a States of Nigeria, state in the North Central Nigeria, North Central region of Nigeria, bordered to the west by the states of Ekiti State, Ekiti and Kwara State, Kwara, to the north by the Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria, Fe ...

, her

mother A mother is the female parent of a child. A woman may be considered a mother by virtue of having given birth, by raising a child who may or may not be her biological offspring, or by supplying her ovum for fertilisation in the case of ges ...

is from

Edo State Edo State, Edo, officially known as Edo State, is a States of Nigeria, state in the South South, South-South Geopolitical zones of Nigeria, geopolitical zone of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. As of 2024, the state was ranked as the List of Ni ...

, and her paternal

grandmother Grandparents, individually known as grandmother and grandfather, or Grandma and Grandpa, are the parents of a person's father or mother – paternal or maternal. Every sexually reproducing living organism who is not a genetic chimera has a maxi ...

is from

Abia State Abia is a state in the Southeastern region of Nigeria. The state's capital is Umuahia and its most populous city is Aba. Abia is bordered the west by Imo, east by Cross River, south by Rivers, northwest by Anambra and northeast by Enug ...

. Her family lived in England from 1996 to 1999. Toluwani completed a bachelor’s degree in mass communication at

Covenant University Covenant University (CU) is a private Christian university in Ota, Nigeria, Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria. It is affiliated with Living Faith Church Worldwide and is a member of the Association of Commonwealth Universities, Association of African Un ...

in 2012, followed by a Master's degree in film and

television Television (TV) is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. Additionally, the term can refer to a physical television set rather than the medium of transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...

studies from the

University of Portsmouth The University of Portsmouth (UoP) is a public university in Portsmouth, England. Comprising five Faculty (division), faculties, the university offers a wide range of academic disciplines. in 2022, with around 28,280 students enrolled in Unde ...

, England, in 2014.

Career

Toluwani's career in

Nollywood Nollywood, a portmanteau of Nigeria and Hollywood, is a sobriquet that originally referred to the Nigerian film industry. The origin of the term goes back to the early 2000s, traced to an article in ''The New York Times''. Due to the history ...

began as a

video editor Video editing is the post-production and arrangement of video shots. To showcase excellent video editing to the public, video editors must be reasonable and ensure they have a thorough understanding of film, television, and other sorts of videog ...

Wale Adenuga Production Wale Adenuga Productions Limited (in abbreviation WAPL or WAP) is a Nigeria entertainment and magazine specializes in movie production and TV programs. The industry was the sponsored and owner of Super Story family, Papa Ajasco and Binta. F ...

s. Her directorial debut was ''Heart & Might'' (2017), a short film about individuals involved in the fight against

Boko Haram Boko Haram, officially known as Jama'at Ahl al-Sunna li al-Da'wa wa al-Jihad (), is a self-proclaimed jihadist militant group based in northeastern Nigeria and also active in Chad, Niger, northern Cameroon, and Mali. In 2016, the group spli ...

. In 2017, she was a staff writer at ''The Other News'' and became head writer by 2019. She was a screenwriter for ''

This Lady Called Life ''This Lady Called Life'' is a 2020 Nigerian romance drama written by Toluwani Obayan, and directed by Kayode Kasum. The film stars Lota Chukwu, Bisola Aiyeola and Wale Ojo in the lead roles. The film had its theatrical release on 9 October 20 ...

'' (2020), for which she received the Best of Nollywood (BON) Award for Best Screenplay and an Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Award (AMVCA) nomination for Best Writer. In 2021, she wrote ''Ponzi''. She also worked on ''

''. In 2022, she directed her debut feature film as part of the First Features initiative by Native Filmworks.

Recognition and influence

Toluwani Obayan Osibe's work has been featured in Nigerian and international publications. She also participates in initiatives that supports emerging Filmmakers and Writers in

Nigerian cinema The Cinema of Nigeria, often referred to informally as Nollywood, consists of films produced in Nigeria; its history dates back to as early as the late 19th century and into the colonial era in the early 20th century. The history and developme ...

Personal life

Toluwani is married to Jeremiah Osibe, an actuarial analyst and author of ''Village Man'' and ''City Man''. The couple are involved in creative and community initiatives in Nigeria.

Filmography

*''Heart & Might'' (2017) *''The Other News'' (2017–2019) *''

'' (2020) *''

'' (2021) *''

'' (2023)

Awards and recognition

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Obayan, Toluwani Living people Nigerian screenwriters Nigerian women writers 1990 births Alumni of the University of Portsmouth Covenant University alumni